A Ghost of a Chance
by Juliet316 2000
Summary: A Ghost story - WWF style.
1. Prologue

A Ghost of a Chance

TITLE: A Ghost of a Chance Prologue/?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL: Sweetvalley99@aol.com, Juliet_316_2000@yahoo.com   
RATING: R  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ATTEMPTED RAPE/NON CONSENSUAL SEX, IMPLIED RAPE, ADULT LANGUAGE.  
CATEGORY: ADULT, ANGST, DRAMA  
SPOILERS: Up through Judgement Day 2002 but begins a year later. One further note: Austin still walked out on the company, but Ric Flair remained owner of RAW.  
SUMMARY: A ghost story, WWF style.  
DISCLAIMER: Vince owns everything, I own nothing, end of disclaimer.  
DISTRIBUTION: Fanfiction.net, the Realm  
  
_A Ghost of a Chance  
  
Prologue  
  
_Stephanie McMahon was watching it again.  
  
She didn't know why exactly she was watching it again. Some kind of machismo she supposed. She was, afterall, Vince McMahon's daughter. Machoism was practically a family trait,  
  
Her father would've said that she was watching the gruesome end to something and someone that was nothing more than a constant nuisance to his daughter and ultimately contributed to her untimely exile from the World Wrestling Federation for nearly ten months. Vince had almost been jubilant when the tragic event occurred.  
  
For Stephanie, there were only bittersweet emotions. Some small part of her felt relief because it removed a lot of potential complications from her life. But she was also overwhelming sad and sorrowful because it signaled a finality to a part of her life that in the beginning brought tremendous happiness for her and turned bitter in it's disastrous end.  
  
Stephanie, sighed, watching the body fall from the Hell in the Cell, watched as the EMTs attended to the man, and remembered the phone call from Kurt Angle, telling her that he was dead.  
  
Stephanie rewound the tape back to the start of the Judgement Day Hell in the Cell match and slid further down into her bed. She had an early day tomorrow and desperately needed some sleep. No true rest for the weary - or the newly appointed RAW commissioner.  
  
As Stephanie McMahon drifted off to sleep, she tried not to think of the enormously busy schedule Ric Flair would have for her the next day.  
  
Or that it was also the one year anniversary of her estranged husband, Hunter Hearst - Helmsley's death.  
  
  



	2. Chapter 1:Just Another Day at the Office

TITLE: A Ghost of a Chance Chapter One?

AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL:   
RATING: R  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ATTEMPTED RAPE/NON CONSENSUAL SEX, IMPLIED RAPE, ADULT LANGUAGE.  
CATEGORY: ADULT, ANGST, DRAMA  
SPOILERS: Up through Judgement Day 2002 but begins a year later. One further note: Austin still walked out on the company, but Ric Flair remained owner of RAW.  
SUMMARY: A ghost story, WWF style. Chapter One takes place after the day/night after the prologue.  
DISCLAIMER: Vince owns everything, I own nothing, end of disclaimer.  
DISTRIBUTION: the Realm. Anybody else, please ask.

_A Ghost of a Chance_

_Chapter One_

Stephanie walked into the arena as usual the next afternoon with a confidence that, on this particular day she really didn't feel. She didn't get a whole lot of sleep the previous night, dreaming of various moments of her and Hunter's relationship, inter sped with the lasting image of his body falling from the Hell in a Cell a year ago. She decided she would avoid the interviewers as much as she could that day and evening. Well, at least Mark Lloyd and Terri Runnels. Hopefully Coach would get the hint that she didn't want to talk.

Because RAW was taking place in Albany that evening, she was able to drive to work that day instead of flying out. Made it both easier and harder to travel in many ways these days.

As Stephanie walked toward Ric Flair's office, she fought to bite back a groan. Mark Lloyd was standing in the hallway not too far from the RAW owner's office. The RAW commissioner was well aware of what day it was and what question he and Terri Runnels probably wanted to ask Stephanie. The brunette quickened her pace, hoping that she could just make it into Flair's office before -

"Stephanie, Stephanie wait!" Lloyd's voice rang out in the hallway.

No such luck.

Stephanie McMahon swallowed her second groan in as many minutes as the annoying RAW interviewer scurried over to her microphone in hand. His eagerness and wolfish expression made Stephanie want to vomit.

"Steph, many are surprised to see you here tonight, in light of what today - " Lloyd started to ask without a preamble.

"I know what today is Mark," Stephanie cut him off eager to get this over with as soon as possible, while trying to maintain her professional business facade, "however, given my past relationship with my late, estranged husband, I'm sure most people will understand my want to just do my job today while figuring out a way to honor Triple H. Now, if you'll excuse me, me and Mr. Flair have business to attend to."

Lloyd apparently wasn't finished.

"What about the persistent rumors that the death of Triple H was an orchestrated plot by you and your father?"

Stephanie stood in shock for a few moments. She knew the rumors as well as anybody. Some fans liked to hurl 'killer' and 'murderess' at her every chance they got. Fortunately those fans seemed to be in the minority at most venues. Still she was surprised that Lloyd would be so brazen to ask the question.

"No comment," she said simply to Lloyd as she opened the door to Flair's office and promptly shut it in the short interviewer's face. Stephanie gave a sigh as she pressed her forehead against the oak door of the office.

"I'm sorry."

Stephanie turned at the soft voice and looked into the kind eyes of Ric Flair.

"Sorry about what?" Stephanie asked rhetorically. Both knew what Flair felt sorry for. Only one of them knew that the apology wasn't necessary.

"If I'd asked you to come before everybody got here or kept Lloyd and the other interviewers away from you - "

"He would've tried to get those questions in anyways, Stephanie interrupted gently, "if not in front of your office, then my office or somewhere else later. It's over and done with and hopefully no one else will ask about Hunter tonight."

Ric nodded and together he and Stephanie went over that night's matches which seemed infinitely easier in Ric's view since he traded the nWo to SMACKDOWN shortly before Stephanie singed on as RAW commissioner.

After making up the match lineup for the evening, Stephanie headed down toward the lockerroom that was set up for her office that evening. As she walked she suddenly noticed Chris Jericho, one of the men who Ric got in the trade for the nWo to SMACKDOWN, walking beside her.

"Hey Steph," Chris said.

"Jericho," she replied civilly, but shortly. She wasn't entirely sure if her cool reserve toward her former business partner had to do with the events that led to the end of that partnership and ultimately her temporary exile from the WWF, or his involvement in her estranged husband's death; despite it being deemed an accident. Perhaps a bit of both Stephanie decided. She hoped he was just stalking her to inquire about the match listings for that night and not planning to make some type of crass dig about the anniversary of Hunter's death. She really didn't feel like talking about Hunter anymore that night, especially after her encounter with Mark Lloyd.

Jericho was silent as she came to a stop in front of her office. As she opened the door, he reached out to touch her hair in an unsettling manner.

She whirled around and slapped him so hard he had to turn his body around in the direction of his head to keep it from coming off. She slammed the door to her office with such force, it could've shook the foundations of the arena.

So focused was Stephanie on getting way from Jericho that she missed the grave look of confusion on the Canadian's face.

:-D More soon. :-D


	3. Chapter 2: Insane?

TITLE: A Ghost of a Chance Two?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL:  
RATING: R  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ATTEMPTED RAPE/NON CONSENSUAL SEX, IMPLIED RAPE, ADULT LANGUAGE.  
CATEGORY: ADULT, ANGST, DRAMA  
SPOILERS: Up through Judgement Day 2002 but begins a year later. One further note: Austin still walked out on the company, but Ric Flair remained owner of RAW.  
SUMMARY: A ghost story, WWF style.  
DISCLAIMER: Vince owns everything, I own nothing, end of disclaimer.  
DISTRIBUTION: the Realm, anyone else, please ask.

_A Ghost of a Chance_

_Chapter Two_

_'Insane?'_

Stephanie put her back against the door of her office, keeping her eyes closed against the pain she felt.

"Is Jericho insane? Or did he somehow manage to take more shots to the head than I have?"

Stephanie opened her eyes, not too terribly surprised to see Jeff Hardy in front of her. The younger Hardy brother had turned into one of the few that Steph was able to call a friend over the last year.

"Weren't you the one that said we're all a little bit insane?" she replied softly.

"Yeah, well, I don't go around getting friendly with my bosses like that."

"Oh really?"

Jeff snorted, "one: I see you as just a friend. Two: Despite what some would believe, I don't go for my own gender, so coming onto guys like Ric or Vince would be Ehucch! And three: Even if I tried anything, Molly would kill me. She's more vicious than she looks."

Like she didn't look vicious all those months she tortured Trish?" Stephanie asked rhetorically, referring to the back and forth feud between Jeff's girlfriend, Molly and Trish Stratus, that had been raging since the roster split began, until the two women finally buried the hatchet in January 2003.

"Besides, she and Trish have made amends, and Trish is dating Bubba," Steph pointed out, earning a grimace from the rainbow colored haired man, which stated that he knew full well the consequences of pissing off the girlfriend of Bubba Ray Dudley.

"So what was the plan for the night before Jericho went and made an ass of himself?"

"Well, you and RVD have a hardcore match," she explained to the youngest Hardy.

"Cool," Jeff replied, "'least Rob knows to play fair and keep it, well not in the ring during a hardcore match, but at least during the match, Rob could be counted on to at least try not to kill me or put me in the hospital."

"Number One Contender's match?" Jeff asked. When Stephanie nodded, he muttered "least Test won't be able to back out of that."

Stephanie pretended not to hear that last. In truth, Andrew 'Test' Martin had tried to reach out to her when Hunter died, but she rebuffed him; confused by his 180 on his feelings for her, and simply wanting to be alone in the aftermath. Now, she avoided the current Hardcore Champion. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she was a little afraid of him these days.

"And Jericho?" Jeff asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Tag match with Christian against the Dudleyz" Stephanie answered, "though I"m tempted to make it a flaming table's match."

Jeff nodded in understanding.

"I just want to get this night over with."

Jeff stood up. "Well, I've gotta get ready for my match. You gonna be okay?"

Stephanie nodded. "Oh and tell Trish and Molly that they have a tag match against Jazz and Victoria?"

"Will do, boss lady," Jeff said before leaving the makeshift office.

Stephanie dove into her work, trying not to think about Hunter, Jericho, anniversaries or death. Not wanting to think about the possible _real _reason that she smacked Jericho. That it wasn't because of the untoward touch of her hair, but the familiarity of it. That it reminded her of another man's touch.

That it reminded her of Hunter.

_Later that night._

Chris Jericho was seriously wondering if he was insane.

He stormed down the hotel corridors to his room, not really caring to see anybody in the halls, thankful not to be seeing any couples making out in the hallways. The last time he saw Lita and Matt Hardy making out like rabbits, two weeks ago, he ended up with a black eye and no memory of what he had done to deserve it. Kind of like tonight at RAW.

Sighing Jericho entered his hotel room and sad down on his bed, putting his head in his hands. The last couple of months or so had taken a strange turn. Blackouts for no known reason and then afterwards he'd end up with injuries would have no clue how he had gotten them. The only bright spot was that the blackouts never seemed to occur in the ring. He was still able to go when he had a match.

In addition he had weird thoughts and voices floating in his head about people and places he had never thought about before. Especially toward Stephanie. At least tonight he had some idea about what he did.

_'How could I not?' Jericho_ thought bitterly, rubbing his face where Stephanie had made her feelings about what he had done very clear, _'They replayed Stephanie slapping me about three dozen times.'_

_"Heh, just like old times, right Jerky?"_

Jericho stood ramrod straight at that.

"Okay, I don't know who or what the hell you are, but I want answers and dammit assclown, I want it now!"

The room deigned not to reply. Jericho was suddenly very thankful he decided to pick this rather remote corner of the hotel for his room. Beat people knocking on his door wondering what was going on with him.

Maybe he really was going insane.

Sighing once more, Jericho went into the hotel bathroom to get himself cleaned up. He had not bothered showering at the arena; thinking it best to get the tag match over with and get out of the arena as fast as he could. They had been lucky Stephanie had not thought to make it a flaming tables match or something to that effect. He knew half the RAW Superstars and the few SMACKDOWN superstars that had been on the show were probably still at the arena.

He turned on the cold water tap and reached down to splash his face, hoping that would ease some of the tension he was feeling. Then he heard a familiar voice.

_BOO!_

Jericho jerked up and with a curse stumbled backward onto his butt on the bathroom floor and his head banging the wall. It wasn't the 'boo' that startled the Canadian but the face that looked at him when he snapped his head back up, for the face in the mirror was not his own. It should've belonged to a deadman.

The face staring back at him was Hunter Hearst Helmsley's

**scampers off. Reviews are helpful.**


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